I am meditating on ....
2 Cor. 12:10
As our world spins faster and faster into craziness and destruction, and as the future for the treatment of Christians grows bleaker with every turn of the earth's axis, I found my reading the other day in 2 Cor. 11-12 to be more meaningful and relevant then ever.
Paul actually wrote that he "took pleasure" in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessitates, in persecutions and in destresses FOR CHRIST'S SAKE.
Why? Because as he shared, "when I am weak, then am I strong".
This verse coincides with verse 9 in which he expounded on Christ's message that "My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness".
There are several things that God brought to mind.
First...that word "pleasure". It made me think of the quote from Eric Liddell, the well known Christian athlete who ran in the Olympics in Paris in 1924. He shared that "When I run, I feel God's pleasure". That quote came to my mind recently in an unexpected way. In fact, as I think about the experience, I literally start to weep.
So a couple of weeks ago, my husband and I enjoyed a wonderful time away in Branson. We stayed at a time share (a first time stay). One evening they had a karaoke night out on the patio. We decided to check it out. It was music after all and it was free. And it was fun:) Like many of you, we LOVE music! Music touches me in ways like nothing else. I love oldies and different genres. I love the history, the nostalgia and the story of the times behind so many songs. And of course, most of all, I love Gospel music that praises our Lord!
The atmosphere was family friendly and positive. The songs tended to be pop songs. Some I knew, many I did not.
So as we sat there listening, I began to feel a stirring in my heart. Should I?
I looked through the Ipad that was provided and found a song. I prayed.
I clicked "Submit". Before long, my name was up on the screen and I heard the DJ call my name. My heart beat more rapidly. I looked at my husband. He smiled. I told him he should come up too. He smiled, but did not comply. I prayed something like "Help me God. For your glory."
As I took the mic and the background music filled the air, I found myself singing out with joy and conviction. "Great is Thy Faithfulness, morning by morning new mercies I see, all I have needed Thy hand hath provided, Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me."
As the crowd looked on, and as I shared the words of the beautiful message that I was so thrilled to relate, my heart swelled with a sense of God's pleasure! It was an amazing experience. An opportunity to spread Truth, to provide words of hope! To bring His message into an evening where thus far, it had been missing.
The crowd applauded. I walked back to my seat. Feeling broken, grateful and God's pleasure.
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This morning on a podcast, I heard of the Afghani Christians who had registered as Christians on their ID cards. They had stepped out in bold faith. They were willing to accept the reality that persecution might someday find them. And for many, that day is already here. Reports claim that the Taliban is searching out Christians with obvious harmful intent. Oh.....how we must be praying for the persecuted Christians in the world today.
But we too, need to be praying for ourselves and our off-spring. To stand firm. To stand strong. To not back down.
Knowing that when we stand strong (even though we may be feeling weak)....God will strengthen us with a supernatural ability and..... we will know His pleasure.
Of course, the account I related above was NOT persecution by any means. It was a God given opportunity to stand up for Jesus by doing something that I love to do! It was stepping out of my comfort zone while still in a comfortable space.
My point is that, when I took a stand to share Jesus....I sensed God's pleasure!
At that is my reason for writing this....
To encourage us that when we say yes to God, when we are willing to take a stand....we can expect to feel closer to Him then ever before. To sense a greater purpose. To know a deeper joy.
I do not welcome this moment that may befall us. It sounds scary to say the least.
But when it comes, and eventually it is likely....may we take courage and stand ready....to be made weak. To possibly suffer much for the cause of Christ.
Knowing that our all-sufficient God will be there.
And even as Paul spoke about in God's Word, we too can "take pleasure" in standing for Jesus that we too can know the joy of His pleasure.
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